Sierra Leonean Potato Leaf Stew with Chicken

Ingredients

• 700 g chicken thigh fillets
• 600 g spinach
• 6 tbsp red palm oil
• 2 onions
• 1 scotch bonnet chilli
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 300 g long-grain rice

Method

1. 1

   Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and season with salt and the crushed garlic. Put in a pan with 1 chopped onion, the crumbled stock cube and 300ml water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Sierra Leonean potato leaf stew uses sweet potato leaves; spinach is the supermarket swap. Wash the spinach, then chop it very finely, as the leaves are shredded fine for this dish.

3. 3

   Heat the red palm oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the second onion, chopped, and the finely chopped scotch bonnet for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the chicken with its liquid and the dried shrimp, ground to a powder (it replaces the smoked bonga fish), and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the spinach in handfuls and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the stew is thick, the greens are dark and no pink remains in the chicken. Season with salt.

6. 6

   Meanwhile, rinse the rice and simmer it in 600ml lightly salted water, covered, for 12-15 minutes until tender. Serve the stew straight away over the rice and cool any leftover rice quickly.